Best Kept Secrets
by elenwyn
Summary: The Petrelli family are brilliant at keeping secrets. That is, apart from Nathan, who doesn't seem to have a clue. Canon!Paire. One-shot.


**A.N: **Listening to Maroon 5 and wrote this. Not angsty for once!

**WARNING**: Contains incest and implications of sexual situations. If you don't like, you don't read. Thank you. :)

Spoilers up to the end of Season 1, AU after that. Set about two years in the future.

--

She was doing _it_ again. Drawing it out, teasing him with her eyes, smirking up at him ever-so-slightly from across the table.

Peter tried with every ounce of resistance to concentrate on the conversation he was having with his brother, and not focusing on the..._thoughts_ that were lightly dancing through his mind, dancing like her fingers did the other day as she brushed them through his hair, trying to make it lie flat, trying to torment him – and he knew _she_ knew it was starting to work.

He'd succeeded in dimming them down to a – sort of – low hum at the back of his head, and was feeling quite pleased with himself, when he felt a small amount of pressure on his lower leg. Peter bit his lip and glanced over to her.

She'd stopped looking at him now, eyes fully concentrated on the plate before her, but it was definitely her foot that was beginning to rub gently along his leg, and a whisper of a smirk was still visible on her lips.

Nathan had moved the conversation on to Peter's love life – "So, Pete, how come you've got no plus one for the ball Saturday night?" – and the brilliant timing of the question was certainly not lost on him. He sent a firm thought Claire's way before trying to figure out, _if _he could figure out, how to answer his brother.

_Stop it._

"You know me, Nathan, the only reason I'm going is for you!"

He felt a sharp nudge to his ankle.

_Why?_

Her eyes flickered to his, that smile, that oh-so-innocent smile that he knew was anything but, gracing her features, and pretended to be interested in the conversation,

"Maybe you should set Peter up on a date, Nathan; it's been ages since he's had a girlfriend."

_You're trying to kill me, aren't you?_

Peter saw his brother musing on the subject, not being able to believe what she'd just suggested, and decided to take action, "No, I don't need a date – "

_No, I'm trying to get you the hell out of here._

"Claire's right though, you haven't been seen with a girl for nearly two years; keeping her hidden in a closet are you?"

The younger Petrelli almost groaned at the irony of Nathan's words. Claire's foot nudged his again, before running slowly up his leg, coming dangerously close to a certain area. Glaring – _you're putting me in a very awkward position, Claire _– he manouvered himself out of the girl's reach, making her laugh.

Nathan was visibly confused, "Am I...missing something here?"

"No," Claire answered, and Peter was glad when her foot moved away, "I just thought how funny it was..." _Well, I want you out of here so you can put me in another position. Now._

The next few thoughts she sent made Peter choke on his water, causing him to cough violently. Taking that as her cue, Claire stood up and asked to be excused, leaving Nathan even more at a loss.

"What was funny? Claire? Honestly, that girl's such an enigma," He shook his head and her retreating form and reaching for his glass of wine, before noticing his brother had turned a rather deep shade of pink, "...Pete? You alright?"

"Never better," Peter managed to say, also watching the blonde as she made her way up the stairs, "Look, I better...I gotta make a phone call. I'll see you later, Nate."

He left the table abruptly, subtly following Claire's route and disappearing up the same staircase.

Nathan was left utterly perplexed at the dinner table, making a note to ask his mother if Peter did indeed have any secret girlfriends locked away somewhere.

--

Later, Heidi came across her husband sitting pensively in the study, a glass of scotch in his hand, "Honey? What's the matter?"

Nathan looked up at her with a frown, "Peter doesn't have a girlfriend, does he? I haven't seen him with anyone lately..."

The Congressman's wife bit her lip, still able to hear the laughter, amongst other things, that was coming from her step-daughter's bedroom and sighed, wondering why her husband was so oblivious at times.

"I don't know, Nathan, maybe you're just not looking hard enough."

With a press of the lips to her husband's forehead, she turned and went back upstairs to check on her boys, leaving Nathan to figure out what on Earth everyone else knew that he didn't.

--

Upstairs, Claire pulled the duvet around her, snuggling into Peter's chest. He pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek, "Nathan's going to figure it out one day, you know."

Amused, the girl raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you kidding? He couldn't figure it out if he walked in on us!"

Peter laughed softly, pulling her more closely to him, "Let's not try that one, just incase."

She rolled her eyes and settled her head in the crook of his neck, sleep slowly beginning to claim her.

Peter was just thankful he had a brother that was so unaware of their current situation; he'd have been butchered years ago otherwise. He glanced down lovingly at the young woman in his arms, and closed his eyes, "Love you, Claire."

"Love you too."

--

Back downstairs, the sound of a glass breaking resounded throughout the Petrelli household.

It seemed the penny had finally dropped.


End file.
